With Giesela around Kamenz
DR atmosphere with 52 8141-5
Friday, 16.06.2023
It took a total of three attempts to finally make the "Mit Giesla um Kamenz" (With Giesla around Kamenz) photo train event a reality. The date originally scheduled for October 2022 had to be cancelled at short notice due to a failure of the train radio system between Arnsdorf and Kamenz; routing the train via an alternative path would have involved significant detours and substantial delays. A rescheduled date in early May 2023 also fell through - this time due to a line closure in Bischofswerda.
With construction work already scheduled for the planned route and the available timeframe narrowing, the two organizers and the event host - the Ostsächsische Eisenbahnfreunde e.V. (East Saxon Railway Enthusiasts Association) from Löbau—decided to set the event for June 16, 2023, despite the season being less than ideal for photography.
On that day, a photo freight train hauled by steam locomotive 52 8141 ran for a group of just over 30 railway enthusiasts. Originally delivered to the DRG in 1944 as number 52 5315, the locomotive was rebuilt at the Stendal repair works in 1965 and fitted with a Giesl flat ejector during a major overhaul in 2020. It operated on the line between Bautzen and Straßgräbchen-Bernsdorf—a route where the Class 52 had historically been a regular sight. The train made multiple runs back and forth between Straßgräbchen-Bernsdorf and Kamenz, offering photographers and videographers a variety of shots along a section of track that still largely retains its original East German (DR) infrastructure.
All participants behaved in a disciplined manner and adhered to the safety guidelines: any time spent in the track area was coordinated in advance with the relevant dispatchers, and safety was ensured through the mandatory wearing of high-visibility vests. Thus, the event could proceed as planned - something that, unfortunately, can no longer be taken for granted these days, as recent incidents involving the 012 104-6 clearly demonstrated.
However, there was one important factor the organizers could not control: the weather. It proved to be quite changeable that day, bringing everything from sunshine to rain. Nevertheless, the participants were ultimately very satisfied with how the event unfolded and the results achieved.
